Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/339968
JULY 2-8, 2014 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM CONNECTION Concert Fayetteville's Concert Connection Sponsored by IT'Z ENTERTAINMENT CITY www.itzentertainmentcity.com CROWN CENTER 1960 Coliseum Dr. • 438-4100 www.atthecrown.com July 26 Masters of Funk HELLAS RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR 3041 N. Main Street Hope Mills, NC 28348 (910)426-4040 HUSKE HARDWARE HOUSE 405 Hay Street • 437-9905 www.huskehardware.com Karaoke every Thursday Night DJ Tommy King every Friday and Saturday night MARQUIS MARKET 116 Person St. • 483-1337 marquismarket.com Live Jazz every 4th Friday VILLAGE COFFEE HOUSE 3037 Boone Trail Ext. • 484-4515 1st Saturdays: Scott Johnson 3rd Fridays: Open Mic CHARLIE MIKES PUB 195 Star Point Rd • 826-6453 Friday Live Music HILLTOP HOUSE 1240 Fort Bragg Rd. • 484-6699 www.hilltophousenc.com Thursday Live Music DRUNK HORSE PUB 5149 Bragg Blvd. • 491-1810 Both Danny Gokey and Toby Mac's label Gotee Records have been celebrating recently. This week in The Buzz we will hear from them what the cheering is all about. Danny Gokey has a couple of reasons to celebrate. First, he just released his sophomore CD, Hope in Front of Me. His musical journey has been well documented from being a church music director to being a finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. The title track of the new CD is already a hit on Christian radio. According to Gokey, the writing process has been somewhat lengthy and deliberate. " We've been writing for this album for a long time because I knew what I wanted to say. I wrote the song 'Hope in Front of Me', and the whole album really, from a personal place. Going through the tragedy of losing my wife and knowing what it's like to walk through rain that feels like it will never end, I wanted to put a message of hope wrapped up in current sound. "The reason why it's hope in front is because you've got to keep moving forward," he continued. "I was at that point where it felt like, man … the darkness doesn't end. But you've got to keep moving forward to those little points of hope in front of you." Gokey's story is coming full-circle at this point in his life. " When my first wife passed away I was depressed and angry. I even dealt with thoughts of suicide because I was so upset and I didn't know how to handle this. Thank God, God put little points of hope, like American Idol was a point of hope. Starting this organization that helps homeless families, Sophia's Heart, in honor of my wife, that was a point of hope. "Getting remarried, these are all things I didn't see were in my future, but you gotta get up. You've gotta pick yourself up and make yourself move forward at times," Gokey explained. Wise words from a husband, father and singer who God has brought to a beautiful place. The other thing Gokey is celebrating is the anticipation of his second child who is due in December! God continues to bring beauty out of the ashes for Danny and his family. Hope in Front of Me is available now. Toby Mac When Toby Mac and a couple of friends decided to start a record label, their biggest asset was the zeal they had to help artists make great music. With Gotee Records being a smaller label, they have always looked for artists with a more unique sound. 20 years later, they have added a great deal of knowledge and experience to that zeal and are still bringing it out that way. "Although how we deliver music to people has changed drastically, the vision of Gotee has not changed that much," says Toby. "It's about finding artists who are unique, and who are passionate. We try to help put some hands and feet on this vision God has given them for their artistry." When asked if he expected Gotee to be around twenty years from now, he responded, "I'd be really upset if it wasn't." He went on to talk about his love of not only making his own music but ensuring that the music of his fellow artists gets out there. "I love this. I am passionate. I am as unjaded as someone can be when it comes to artistry," Toby Mac explained. "It's what I love to do, whether it's my own art or locking arms with a young, up-and-coming artist and helping them to find their way. The fulfilling side, for me, is writing songs and collaborating." From adult contemporary to hip- hop and many genres in between, you can count on Gotee Records to keep it fresh. Gotee Records: Keeping It Fresh for Christian Artists by STEVE TURLEY STEVE TURLEY, Christian 107.3 COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com.